Stronger than Stones
by bnfem
Summary: One-shot. Full of fluff. Contains Series 3 spoilers. Cora eases Robert into the future, realizing that Downton Abbey is not as strong as their love-it may be the one thing that allows Downton Abbey to survive.


"You look lovely, darling," Robert said as he entered the room they shared. "Thank you, darling," she said. She fixed the silver necklace that hung around her neck. "I rather like these clothes, less uncomfortable.

"Mhmm," he sighed.

"Robert," she said holding out her hand for him to grab it. He walked over to her slowly and grabbed her hand and smiled, and sighed yet again. "Well your clothes have not changed much, at least for formal occasions. Are you not used to the clothes still?

"No," he said, letting go of her hand. Cora knew he was not very well with change. It was clear through the decline of closeness in their marriage. While it was better now, it was still not perfect. The war had ravaged their marriage, as it had everything else. Cora was not giving up. In all things she was loyal to Robert, and committed to him-even though usually he proved to be acting difficult and sometimes rather stupid. Seeing how he lost nearly all his money but also all her fortune. "You have to admit, they do feel better."

"Maybe," he said and stood by his window, as he always did, when he was thinking something private. Cora had been around the English long enough to know that their words were short, but their feelings could be strong. She crossed over to the room and stood before him, shaking him out of his reverie.

"Do you want to go to the library before dinner?" she asked, knowing it was the one constant in his life.

"We might do," he said as she grabbed his hand and led him there. She sat on a small sofa as he took one pretty close to her. "Should we tell your mama about our problem?" he said. Cora could tell it took a lot out of him just to ask that. He still felt rather guilty for marrying her for her fortune, but he also wasn't afraid of asking hard questions when it came Downton.

"She'll bring enough drama of her own," she said with a warm smile. She was trying desperately to make him less serious. He'd been this way ever since he had found out that he might possibly bring ruin upon Downton.

He mmmed. "Oh my dear, don't feel too awful," she said leaning towards him. Cora was dressed in a beautiful black dress and despite everything Robert had to smile. He knew he was being disagreeable, but Cora always called him out when he was being rather stupid, but not in a forceful way. Everything about her was so delicate. Her light skin, her small stature, and her arms. They were still capable of holding him up.

Robert stood up and went to pour a drink before dinner. "Do you want anything, darling?" he asked. She stood up and took the decanter out of his hand. "Yes," she said softly and put his hands on her waist. "I don't want you to be afraid of change."

"Now are the fashions so bad?" she said as Robert held her.

"Well I suppose not," he said and blushed a tiny bit.

He kissed her gently on the lips. She stood her on tippy toes to hug him. "Not at least, when I have my arms around you."

She smiled and thought back to the time of her miscarriage. Though it was so many years ago, it still haunted Cora like a demon that would never go away. She could remember before the war, sitting at the garden party. When nobody was looking and O'Brien was only around, she let herself frown a little bit. She pushed most of it back; she didn't want to ruin the party. The only thing that made her feel better was when Robert came to see her and held her hand. Providing an heir to Downton was the duty that she had, and it didn't follow through. She imagined Robert felt the same just about now. His duty was taking care of Downton until he could pass it on to Matthew, but it hadn't followed through either. He brushed two fingers along her naked arm and down to her hand.

"M'lord? The Dowager Countess has arrived for dinner," Carson said, entering the room.

"Thank you, Carson. Myself and her ladyship will come right down." he said and Carson left the library, leaving them alone for a few more moments.

"How are you going to tell your mama?" Cora asked him gently.

"Search me," he said rubbing his temple.

"Let me help, she said exiting the room with him." She remembered how she wanted to help him so desperately before the war, as his world was starting to change right before his eyes, but he never let her. Instead he grew more and more distant, until they could not be in the same room without bickering over something. She hoped it wouldn't be the same this time.

She was pleasantly surprised when he grabbed her hand and said, "Let's go down, he paused and added "together," with a smile.

She gave him a loving glance and he returned it. As he held Cora's hand he realized that Downton Abbey might be older than their love, but their marriage was stronger and couldn't be torn apart by financial ruin. They had already been from hell and back. Robert, who had treated her poorly during the war, didn't know the true strength of Cora but he knew it now—he could never forget it. She stayed with him despite his stupidity; she did not even think twice of leaving him, when she told him about all the money being gone. As they walked down the stairs, he could feel the effect that his wife of nearly thirty years had on the place. She was the breath of fresh air in the house of tradition, she would carry herself, her daughters, and Robert to the changing world and ease them in gently. He let go of her hand as they went to meet his mother. He looked back at her and smiled, their love felt as old as the stones that surrounded him, but it had one thing on them: it could never be broken.


End file.
